Starbucks testing coconut water drinks in St. Louis as part of national trial
ST. LOUIS - Starbucks is testing two new coconut water-based drinks in St. Louis as part of a wider expansion of its latest beverage lineup.
According to a press release from Starbucks, starting this Thursday, the drinks - Coco Matcha and Coco Cold Brew — are being offered at select St. Louis-area stores. The test includes about 400 stores nationwide in markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Springfield, Illinois, South Bend, Indiana, and Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Both drinks use coconut water as a base, which Starbucks says is part of a push to “accelerate health and wellness innovation.” The Coco Matcha is topped with matcha cold foam, while the Coco Cold Brew features cold brew cold foam. Neither drink contains high fructose corn syrup, artificial dyes, flavors or trans fats, according to the company.
The new beverages are a part of their “Starting 5” menu development process, which tests products in limited markets to see how they appeal to consumers.
The Seattle-based chain has been repositioning its menu around two tracks: health-oriented premium drinks and coffee-forward offerings. Earlier this year, Starbucks removed sugar from its matcha powder.
Starbucks said its modernized menu now makes room for more innovations, as they look to compete with smaller chains and fast-food rivals like McDonald’s and Wendy’s, who are also expanding to premium cold coffee beverages.
